Bulls Sign Five To Finalize Camp Roster
The Bulls have officially signed five players to finalize their training camp roster, the team announced today in a press release. In addition to previously reported signees like Andre Emmett and Kyrylo Fesenko, the Bulls also added Marko Jaric, Ryan Allen, and Vance Cooksey, according to the team release.
With 13 players previously under contract, the Bulls were up against a hard cap, with only about $758K available to spend on players. However, since these five players were presumably signed to summer contracts, the salary won't count against Chicago's cap unless one of more of these guys makes the team. In that case, the Bulls would have to shed salary in another way, perhaps via trade, to clear room.
In addition to previously hearing about Emmett's and Fesenko's agreements, we also heard that Jaric and Allen were working out with the Bulls. Cooksey is the only new name — he spent last season playing in the D-League for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers and the Texas Legends, averaging 8.8 PPG and 4.8 APG in 38 contests.
Odds & Ends: Thibodeau, Celtics, Green, Lakers
Tonight's look around the Association..
- Even if the Bulls and coach Tom Thibodeau are unable to reach agreement on an extension, K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune writes that it won't be a distraction for the hyper-focused coach. While many would expect a coach of Thibodeau's caliber to secure a deal well in advance of its expiration, Johnson notes that Thunder coach Scott Brooks and Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle both coached out their last contracts before re-signing.
- Despite concerns about his health after missing last season with a heart issue, Celtics coach Doc Rivers says that forward Jeff Green has some of the best conditioning on the team, writes A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com. Many have questioned the wisdom of giving Green a four-year, $36MM deal, particularly since it does not offer some type of insurance should his heart condition resurface.
- Kevin Ding of The Orange County Register previews the Lakers with five questions surrounding the team as they enter the 2012/13 season. Chief among them is how Kobe Bryant and the newly-acquired Steve Nash will co-exist together in the backcourt. For the offense to run smoothly, Ding opines that Bryant will have to take a backseat at times in order to allow Nash and Dwight Howard to operate effectively.
Central Notes: Pacers, Villanueva, Jaric, Pargo
As the Cavs reportedly put the finishing touches on a training-camp contract for Kevin Anderson, their division rivals are staying active as well. Here's the latest on a few Central Division teams:
- Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star examines the Pacers' final couple roster spots, predicting that Sam Young will earn one, while Blake Ahearn and Sundiata Gaines will compete for the other.
- After a forgettable 2011/12 season, Charlie Villanueva is fighting to bounce back for the Pistons this year, as Vince Goodwill of the Detroit News writes. Asked about the amnesty rumors that surrounded him in July, Villanueva admitted that it was hard not to notice: "It burns me up. It just drove me. Instead of being upset, I said, this will pass and I will let my game do the talking."
- Marko Jaric was in recently to work out with the Bulls, according to Aggrey Sam of CSNChicago.com (via Twitter). Jaric has seven years of NBA experience under his belt, but hasn't played in the league since 2008/09, with the Grizzlies.
- Jannero Pargo expects to finalize a deal within the next couple days, reports Shams Charania of RealGM.com (via Twitter). Charania adds that Pargo is "sticking around Chicago," but I would assume that's just where he's working out, rather than an indication he'll sign with the Bulls.
Bulls To Sign Kyrylo Fesenko
9:47pm: K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune notes that the Bulls, who have $758,550 left to spend, could sign another player at the veteran's minimum once it pro-rates to that amount in late November (Twitter link). Mark Deeks of ShamSports suggests via Twitter that the Bulls could waive Fesenko at the end of training camp and re-sign him once they're able. The Bulls could do the same with fellow camp invitee Andre Emmett, but another team, either in the NBA or overseas, would be free to snap up Fesenko and Emmett while they waited.
8:29pm: The Bulls will sign Kyrylo Fesenko by the end of the week, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com. He was in Chicago on Monday for a workout after auditioning for the Spurs earlier this month, and reportedly had the Cavs tentatively on his workout schedule as well. He was also said to be in contact with the Hawks and the Heat.
Stein says the 7'1" center will receive a non-guaranteed contract, and Sam Amick of SI.com reports via Twitter that it will be for the minimum. The team doesn't have enough room under its $74.307MM hard cap to retain Fesenko for the regular season, even at the minimum salary, without waiving or trading another one of its players.
Fesenko signed with the Pacers in March for the balance of the 2011/12 season, and appeared in only three regular season games. He scored a total of eight points and grabbed nine rebounds in 17 minutes, and didn't see action in any of the team's playoff games. The Ukraine native averaged 2.3 points and 2.0 rebounds in 8.3 minutes per game during the previous four seasons with the Jazz, upping those numbers slightly when he started nine of the Jazz's 10 playoff games in 2009/10 for the injured Mehmet Okur.
Odds & Ends: Irving, Spurs, Clippers, McGrady
Reigning rookie of the year point guard Kyrie Irving rejoined his teammates on Monday, competing in his first five-on-five scrimmage since breaking his hand two months ago, writes Yahoo! Sports NBA reporter Marc J. Spears.
Here's a look elsewhere around the league.
- Hoopsworld.com's Yannis Koutroupis asks whether or not the Spurs title window is closed, given the fact that they only added one player (Nando De Colo) to their roster this offseason.
- Hoopsworld.com's Joel Brigham gives five teams from the Eastern Conference he believes must be watched heading into next season.
- Sporting News' Sean Deveney believes both Tracy McGrady and Baron Davis are at the crossroads of their respective careers, with both players possibly at a point where no more NBA basketball will be played.
- In his continuing series previewing each division, NBA.com's John Schuhmann writes about the Pacific Division, honing in on the Clippers and how they'll try to keep up with the Lakers this year.
- NBA.com's Sam Smith writes that the Bulls didn't dismantle their "bench mob" — they improved it.
- It's a contract season for Jazz forward Paul Millsap, and in many ways it'll also be the biggest year of his life, writes The Salt Lake Tribune's Brian T. Smith.
Kyrylo Fesenko Working Out With Bulls
Kyrylo Fesenko is set to work out with the Bulls today, according to Fesenko himself. The five-year NBA veteran announced the workout yesterday via Twitter: "Just landed in Chicago. Tomorrow I have a workout with the Bulls. Really excited to see Korver, Boozer and Brewer!"
Fesenko clearly hasn't been following the Bulls' offseason too closely, as two of the three players he mentioned are no longer in Chicago — Kyle Korver was traded to the Hawks, while Ronnie Brewer was waived and subsequently signed by the Knicks. If Fesenko is unfamiliar with the team's current roster, you have to wonder if he knows about its cap situation. The Bulls are up against a hard cap, meaning if they were to sign Fesenko, it would have to be a non-guaranteed deal, and another roster move would be required to keep him into the regular season.
Fesenko, 25, reportedly worked out for the Spurs earlier this month and may have had a workout with the Cavs as well. The Hawks and Heat were also said to be in contact with the seven-footer, who played just three games last season for the Pacers. In 135 career NBA contests, the former second-round pick has averaged 2.3 PPG and 2.0 RPG in 8.2 MPG.
Odds & Ends: Aguilar, Hettsheimeir, Lakers
- Mavericks veteran Dirk Nowitzki is excited about the team's offseason additions and says that anything is possible if the chemistry is right, according to Eddie Sefko of SportsDay DFW.
- Kendrick Perkins doesn't think that he nor any of his Thunder teammates need to personally intervene in order to influence James Harden's contract negotiations, believing that his decision will be affected just by returning to training camp and seeing his "family" again (John Rohde of NewsOK reports).
- HoopsWorld provides their season preview of the Lakers, who enter the 2012-13 season with a collection of superstar talent and championship aspirations. According to Eric Pincus, the Lakers' powerfully talented lineup along with improved depth gives them the opportunity to compete at the highest level. On the flip side, Pincus writes that age is definitely not on their side and wonders if Mike Brown has the personality to lead this team to a championship.
- Brian Geltzeiler of SheridanHoops.com offers his thoughts on hot topics that he's been asked about on Twitter and the radio, namely about his projections for the Bulls this season, the idea that Ray Allen's addition to the Heat makes them unbeatable, and if the new CBA is having its desired effect.
Charania On Gibson, Thibodeau, Extensions
Mark Bartelstein, the agent for Taj Gibson, has been negotiating with Bulls GM Gar Forman about an extension for his client for most of the offseason, and Gibson and his camp are confident about getting a deal done before the October 31st extension deadline, reports Shams Charania of Real GM.com.
“Both sides have the same interests: They value Taj and Taj loves being a Bull,” Bartelstein said.“He hopes to stay in Chicago. Both sides want a long-term marriage.”
Bartelstein's comments are similar to what he said in a report yesterday by Aggrey Sam of CSNChicago.com. Sam also noted that the Bulls are high on Gibson, though the hefty contract of fellow power forward Carlos Boozer complicates matters.
As for Thibodeau, he and the Bulls continue to talk, but Charania hears no deal is imminent, as the Bulls are still haunted by the $4MM they had to pay off on Scott Skiles' contract after they fired him in 2007. There are whispers that owner Jerry Reinsdorf doesn't believe coaches make much of a difference, and some in the organization think Thibodeau performed poorly in the team's first-round loss to the Sixers this year.
Thibodeau is entering the final season of his deal after the Bulls picked up his option for 2012/13 a few months ago. Thibodeau and Gibson hae a strong relationship, as Charania writes, and Thibodeau has indicated Gibson will see more playing time this year.
Odds & Ends: Pietrus, Johnson, Raptors, Thomas
Here's today's look around the Association..
- While the Timberwolves continue to talk with Mickael Pietrus' camp, Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (via Twitter) is told that there is a better chance the veteran wing winds up with a team in the Eastern Conference. This week it was reported that three teams have major interest in Pietrus with two clubs highly motivated to get a deal done. Pietrus also has a viable option overseas that would include an NBA opt-out.
- Doug Smith of the Toronto Star wouldn't be surprised to see either Amir Johnson or Ed Davis traded this season as one is likely to be squeezed out of the rotation in favor of the other. However, Smith is unwilling to handicap the odds of a trade happening or to predict which one will be on the block.
- Joel Brigham of HoopsWorld is surprised to see summer league standout Malcolm Thomas still without a guaranteed contract. Thomas posted a double-double in every Summer League game he played for the Bulls, averaging 17.9 PPG and 12.3 RPG for the week in Vegas.
- Eric Koreen of the National Post looks at how the Raptors are using advanced statistics to gain an edge going forward. Toronto has contracted KBAR Consulting to handle the analytics for the front office.
- Jim Cavan of the New York Times wonders if Adam Morrison will stick with the Blazers in his latest NBA go-round.
Bulls Rumors: Pargo, White, Allen, Gibson
The Bulls find themselves in a pickle as training camp approaches, with a $73.55MM payroll that bumps up against a hard cap of $74.3MM invoked when they exceeded the taxpayer's mid-level exception to sign Kirk Hinrich. That gives them enough room for a rookie on a minimum-salary deal of $473,604, and they might be able to squeeze in a one-year vet at the $762,195 minimum, depending on the accuracy of their reported salaries. Aside from that, they'll have to get rid of one of their contracts to add anyone else to the regular season roster. The team could swing a trade or waive Nate Robinson and his partially guaranteed contract to find a place for Andre Emmett, a player with two years of experience who'll be in training camp on a non-guaranteed deal. Still, the team appears to continue to look around for additional free agent help, as Aggrey Sam of CSNChicago.com chronicles.
- Sam hears that free agents Jannero Pargo, D.J. White and Ryan Allen are joining many of the Bulls for voluntary workouts in Chicago leading up to the opening of camp. Allen is the brother of Grizzlies guard Tony Allen, and is a native of Chicago. Pargo is having discussions with a few NBA teams, as we heard yesterday, and White is reportedly drawing interest from multiple teams overseas.
- Taj Gibson indicated earlier this month that talks were under way about an extension, and agent Mark Bartelstein confirms that to Sam. "It's something we've been talking about for a while," Bartelstein said. "(GM) Gar (Forman) and I have been putting a lot of work in. Taj would love to be a Bull for a long time, there's no question about that."
- The Bulls place a high value on Gibson and privately "acknowledge he's a keeper," Sam writes, but the presence of Carlos Boozer, who has three years and $47.1MM left on his contract, at his position complicates matters. The Bulls have an October 31st deadline to extend Gibson and keep him from becoming a restricted free agent next summer.